Take Me Somewhere explores innovative and experimental performance

The Glasgow festival is one of the legacies of the sadly defunct Arches

Glasgow's Take Me Somewhere festival is perhaps the most explicit legacy of the sadly defunct Arches. Founded by former artistic director Jackie Wylie (who is now leading the National Theare of Scotland) and curated by LJ Findlay-Walsh, another alumnus of The Arches' programming team. 'The festival has innovative performance at its core,' she explains. 'Driven by the talent, energy and voracity of the city's arts community, it's a platform for crucial, diverse voices from here and abroad, understanding the globalised and multicultural world we live in, and envisaging what a future world could be.'

With visits from Canada's Quote Unquote Collective and the USA's Mykki Blanco and Split Britches alongside Scottish artists including FK Alexander and Ultimate Dancer, Take Me Somewhere both supports local artists and introduces Glasgow to internationally acclaimed experimental performers: it's the same combination that made The Arches so crucial for the development of its dynamic identity.

Outside of the Edinburgh Fringe, Scotland often struggles to present this range of work: the emphasis on marginalised identities and experimental dramaturgies opens up the possibilities of theatre as both politically engaged and intellectually challenging. The arrival of David Hoyle, a legendary performer who has been troubling gender certainties since the 1990s, not only addresses contemporary debates but points to the history of LGBTQI+ activist performance while Florentina Holzinger and Campo address the cult of physical perfection via classical ballet in Apollon Musagete. Take Me Somewhere offers hope that theatre can still tackle tough questions without descending into pious virtue-signalling.

A festival of contemporary performance, taking place across Glasgow and building on the legacy of the arts programme at the city's late but legendary venue, The
Arches. Take Me Somewhere features events created through a programme of artistic development opportunities as well as inspirational work from beyond Scotland.